2014/02/06 by George Gehrels, George E. Gehrels
Computer Science · Earth and Planetary Sciences · #Geochemistry and Geologic Mapping #Geological and Geochemical Analysis #earthquake and tectonic studies
paper · pdf · doi:10.1146/annurev-earth-050212-124012
openalex publication_date 2014/02/06 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/01
Detrital zircon geochronology is rapidly developing into an essential tool in Earth science research because of the widespread occurrence of zircon in sedimentary systems; the wide range of information that can be extracted from zircon crystals; the ability to determine ages with reasonable precision, accuracy, and efficiency; and the wide range of new ideas about how to use detrital zircon geochronologic information. The U-Pb system is particularly powerful because three chronometers are available ( 238 U→ 206 Pb, 235 U→ 207 Pb, and 232 Th→ 208 Pb), but challenges arise because of complexities from inheritance and Pb loss. Ages can be used to constrain the age of deposition of the host sediment, reconstruct provenance, characterize a sedimentary unit, and characterize many different aspects of source regions. Detrital zircon geochronology has an exciting future given the growth history recorded in individual crystals; the variety of detrital minerals that can provide complementary information; and the large number of geochemical, isotopic, and chronologic systems that can be applied to these minerals.